Employer Limiting Travel

Sportyrich2000

My girlfriends employer has said that she is not allowed to book travel abroad on holiday.  She is a teacher, as am I, so we had booked flights to Corfu for Half Term in October.  Can an employer restrict out of country travel if the destination is 'safe' and not on the travel ban or quarantine list?  (for any judgers Corfu has had approximately 40 cases since the start...it is far safer than the UK!)

bradders1983

The employers concern would be that it gets put on the bad list whilst you are away. Lets say that happened...what would you both do for 2 weeks after you get back?

I mean you could just go and not tell anyone and scramble for an early flight back if it does go on the list 🤷‍♂️

DCFC79

Sportyrich2000 said:

My girlfriends employer has said that she is not allowed to book travel abroad on holiday.  She is a teacher, as am I, so we had booked flights to Corfu for Half Term in October.  Can an employer restrict out of country travel if the destination is 'safe' and not on the travel ban or quarantine list?  (for any judgers Corfu has had approximately 40 cases since the start...it is far safer than the UK!)

Dont tell them but would she or you both be happy with lying to your employers ?

43722

 Not sure the Employer can do that. I would be deciding for myself if it was a risk I was prepared to take. (No...) If your answer is different, I would get advice, possibly from the Union.

bradders1983

Its a ridiculous stance for an employer to take really as the OP could happily go and spend a week in Bolton (current rate of 200/100000) and the employer wouldn't bat an eyelid....unless the only thing the employer is worried about is the OP having to sit at home for 2 weeks should Corfu go on the list. But then just get a temp in, and pay them the money they would have paid the OP. Problem solved.

eskbanker

Presumably the employer's position is effectively that they're not prepared to tolerate an employee (avoidably) having to quarantine or putting others at risk, but a blanket ban on foreign travel seems something of a blunt instrument, although I can see why they wouldn't want to get involved in debates about infection rates in different countries (or parts of the UK)....

Sooler

News articles refer to the advice as a warning

"Teachers have been warned not to travel abroad at the end of the summer holidays because they face potentially losing pay if they are put into quarantine during term time."

https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-8567415/Teachers-warned-DONT-travel-abroad-end-summer-holidays.html

Prime Minister advice July 2020

"However, the Prime Minister stopped short of telling Brits not to go on holiday to countries with high infection rates, such as Spain.

Instead, Johnson said it is up to “individuals” and “families” to decide where they want to go on holiday, and it is up to them if they want to risk going overseas given the current pandemic."

https://londonlovesbusiness.com/teachers-warned-not-travel-abroad-for-a-holiday-or-face-losing-pay/

[Deleted User]

If you have already booked there isn't much the school can do.  I am assuming you booked it before the schools request not to go abroad?   You take your chance but I think what the PM is getting at (and I agree for once) is everyone can make their own minds up by weighing up their own particular circumstances.   In your case, IF you were unlucky enough to have to face quarantine on return you would lose the two weeks pay.   It is all a gamble wherever you go, even in UK as someone said.   Corfu might be at low risk now but by the time everyone from other countries holidays there, who can tell?      

Sportyrich2000

Thanks for the comments all.  Having researched further it seems that their legal footing is flimsy at best.  The wording given is quite 'bully boy' about 'may consider disciplinary action'.  Harsh but unlikely.  My point was as one poster has said that I could go to Bolton where it is over 200 per 100,000 or Corfu where there are 2 cases per 100,000.

warby68

I can understand the preference and request for teachers not to risk it for the sake of getting education back to as much normality as possible. If I had new classes, only a half term in after 6m at home, I wouldn't want to chance it for their sake.
However that's a bit of a moral judgement I know.
I'm not sure how teaching works as far as employers telling you when to take leave goes. Is it 13 weeks leave automatically enshrined or is there some more control over your time when schools are closed? How does it work for school trips etc - is it all purely voluntary or can you be requested to work at other times?
I know that's not a direct answer to the question but it did make me curious whether those 13 weeks are automatic entitlement or not.

sheramber

Story  in the news today of a school having to be closed as some  members of staff went to  party where thy got infected. They passed the virus to other members of staff resulting in the school having to close.